What’s YOUR very next thing?
I love this quote.
“You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” — E. L. Doctorow (via @artcetera)
If you’re frustrated by the amount of email you have, or the amount of work, or the volume of paper on your desk, or the frazzled nerves in your brain, or the lack of time to do things…
Just remember that you don’t have to do the whole thing. You only need to do the next thing.
- If you have boatload of work to do, pick one thing – even the easiest thing – and start with that.
- If you have a ton of email to read and reply to, start with the one on the bottom.
- If you haven’t had time to write a single Christmas or New Year’s card, don’t do all of them. Just start with one.
It’s the season where you can knock yourself flat, deplete your spirit, and snarl at loved ones. Not because you want to, but because there’s just so much happening at once that it’s hard to decide where to start.
Just like the quote says, shine your light on one thing. Start with that. You’ll still get to your destination – and you might even feel lighter and more peaceful when you arrive.
For me, that means clicking “publish” on this post so I can share it with you.
What’s the next thing for you?
Organized under Creating order. Labeled as Christmas, email, feelings, home office, organize, overwhelm, simplicity, small business, work flow.
234 days ago,
Gina said:
Saying, YAY!
I have SO said this to myself when feeling overwhelmed. Some wise mom once said that, and I always remembered it. Just do the next thing.
Gina´s last blog ..House in the House!
234 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Gina – Exactly! Even though our brains want to get all helpful and think up all the OTHER things we should/ought to/need to be doing, just one (ONE) next step is plenty.
Especially when feeling overwhelmed. It might even be better than chocolate.
234 days ago,
Sonia Connolly said:
“One step at a time” is definitely a mantra in my life. Sometimes my first step is to make a list, so that I can quit worrying about what I might be forgetting. Thanks for the sanity-saving reminder!
Sonia’s latest article Compassion for the Drama Triangle
234 days ago,
jennifer said:
Sonia – Lists rock. Not only do they help me remember, they also allow me to let it go. Once it’s written down, I don’t have to mentally track it – I can just look at the list.
234 days ago,
Debra Marrs said:
Oh, yeah, this was super timely post for me to “get” today. Thanks, Jen.
Debra Marrs´s last blog ..An Essential Book for Writers – How Stories Work
233 days ago,
Sandy Dempsey said:
Great reminder to look just at what’s in front of you. It was how I was able to finally start living my dreams this year.
Simple, but elegant again, Jen, Thanks!
Sandy Dempsey´s last blog ..What’s in a Name?
230 days ago,
Lori Paximadis said:
This is so true. It’s been a whole year of overwhelm for me, and I’ve finally gotten to a place where I can take care of some long-term things that have been hanging over my head all year. But more overwhelm: where to begin?
Thank you for the one thing at a time reminder.
Lori Paximadis´s last blog ..Best of 2009: Place
226 days ago,
Kate said:
How funny to see this on Twitter via Jen Louden–and it’s a home office site.
I’m in the process of finishing up my office today after moving into this house a month ago. That’s my “next thing.” I’m currently sorting through old cards and letters and deciding what to keep and what to put in the keepsake box.
224 days ago,
jennifer said:
Great stuff. It certainly is a simple idea – and hard to implement. Sometimes when I catch myself in the mental spin of overwhelm I remember to ask, “Okay, whats the one next thing?” Not alwasy, but it sure helps.
Thanks for the great comments!
Sandy – Wow. Brava.
Lori – You’re welcome. I’m glad to know the overwhelm is abating – if slowly.
Kate – Congrats on your move! Sorting is such a great thing to do once you’ve landed. You can sometimes *feel* whether things belong in your new space or not. I’m cheering you on!
223 days ago,
Meredith from Penelope Loves Lists said:
I have been thinking so much about this very topic lately. I was talking to my daughters golf coach and he was telling me that his favorite thing about golf is that it forces you to play just one hole at a time.
I don’t play golf, but I thought that was a great analogy to think about when I feel overwhelmed. Thanks for this post!
223 days ago,
jennifer said:
Oo! I love this, Meredith! One hole at a time. One swing at a time. I don’t play golf, but it’s such a beautiful, evocative, green image of sanity. Thank you so much for sharing it!
155 days ago,
Pangaea, Pangaea Interior Design said:
I see this was posted awhile ago, but I seem to be led to your blog postings at exactly the right time. Today I am spinning with several “to-do” items that all seem equally urgent. So how to pick what’s NEXT when they all seem to be of the same importance?
My husband put it beautifully the last time I got like this. He said, “well if they are all equally important, then it really doesn’t matter. Just pick whichever one you feel like doing right now and do that!”
Now my next thing to learn seems to be not beating up on myself for the things that slid while I was finishing another task. Like my newsletter which is a week late because I was upholstering chairs for a job. I just need to be thankful I got the job done – move on to the newsletter – and not panic about the other to-do’s.
Thanks so much for your inspiration!